The effectiveness of International Judicial Cooperation, Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition highlighted by UNODC and the Iranian Judiciary

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Iran in close collaboration with the Islamic Republic of Iran's Judiciary International Affairs, Kerman Province General Prosecutor's Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a two-day national meeting on "International Judicial Cooperation" with specific emphasis on the "Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition" in the city of Kerman, on 12-13 July 2017. A senior public prosecutor from Switzerland, a renowned Iranian law professor, and a senior member of Iranian Interpol Criminal Investigation Division were among the facilitators to the meeting.

The event was made possible thanks to the generous funding of the Government of Japan to the UNODC Iran Country Partnership Programme (2015-2019).

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for seventy judges and public prosecutors as well as senior provincial judiciary authorities from different cities of Kerman Province to become familiarise and upgrade their knowledge of international Judicial Cooperation, Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition. UNODC Iran took the opportunity in providing a fresh perspective of the purpose of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and how the UNODC through UNTOC Convention assists the UN Member States to prevent and combat organised crime more effectively.

In the course of the working sessions, a number of subjects were presented, followed by an interactive brainstorming and exchanges of opinion. These included subjects such as: (i) Iran's legislative structure and potentials for international judicial cooperation; (ii) added value of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, as legal basis for international cooperation; (iii) concept of criminal judicial assistance and its characteristics; (iv) familiarization with the Interpol; (v) Swiss perspective on Mutual Legal Assistance; (vi) Member States cooperation under the International Conventions; (vii) confidentiality and disclosure of information in formal proceedings; (ix) extradition or pursuit: improving effectiveness of combating crime; (viii) Swiss perspective on extradition matters; and (xi) familiarization with modalities of International Judicial Cooperation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

UNODC's professional cooperation with the Iranian Judiciary and Government of Islamic Republic of Iran was highlighted by Prosecutor General of Kerman Province and Judiciary's International Affairs bureau at the closure of the event.